Text Messaging Featured Article

Text messaging has become one of the most popular methods of communication, and as it has evolved, so has the usage of emoticons. Many text senders commonly select from a whole lexicon of emoticons known as Emoji, which include not only your typical line of smiley faces and frowns, but all kinds of images, some of which make absolutely no sense but seem to serve some humorous purpose.

Writing for The Hindu, Sreedevi Jayaran considers the social pros and cons of using emoticons. Jayaran concludes that celebratory messages can benefit from emoticons like a party hat or a glass of champagne in mid-toast. In other scenarios, emoticons can make a sender come across as lazy and inarticulate.

I personally can attest to an ex-boyfriend who used emoticons so much during our long distance relationship that I was convinced he was either too pre-occupied to give me the time of words, or stupid (I was sort of right about both). But it isn't just the social world that is affected by this iffy new language—the world of business is too.

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As more and more businesses employ text messaging as way to connect with customers, the emoticon lexicon is a point of ambiguity. There's a solid argument for and against the use of emoticons in company campaigns, and enterprises may find that they fall firmly on either side of the debate. It truly depends on the company.

If, say, Crate & Barrel was working on a text messaging campaign ahead of Christmas to promote decoration ideas and themes, it may want to steer clear of the emoticon because it stands a chance of cheapening its products. If you got a text from Crate & Barrel inviting you to link to the company’s page of Christmas tree decorations, and embedded in the message was an emoticon of a Christmas tree, this would be jarring. An emoticon looks silly compared to whatever luxurious crafts C&B is promoting. Additionally, C&B touts some pretty high-end stuff that highlights elegance. Even the ultimate emoticon enthusiast would probably agree that the last thing emoticons represent is elegance.

On the flipside, a company like American Apparel may be better suited for emoticon usage — and not just because its products are less expensive (anyone who has shopped there knows that American Apparel is far from cheap). The company has made an enterprise out of casual wear, so perhaps it's only fitting that it should communicate in the most casual way possible. Moreover, it targets younger people, from 12 to 35 or so, an age group who if they didn't grow up with emoticons, has had some time to get used to them.

It’s important to stay mindful of the demographics to which you cater as a business, and to walk that fine line between engaging outreach and off-putting spam. However, because emoticons are already included in most texting programs (especially smartphones), emoticons could potentially be a clever way to spice up your text messaging outreach to customers without breaking the bank.